Alptekin initially failed a drug test in 2004 at the IAAF World Junior Championships and served a two-year ban. Then, a 2015 investigation found abnormalities in her biological passport, stemming from 2013 blood tests. Because of this second offense, she lost her 2012 Olympic and European gold medals, which she earned in the women’s 1500m. Additionally, she was given an eight-year ban, which was changed to four years. That ban, backdated to 2013, ended this year.

Alptekin only competed once in 2017 when she finished 11th at the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country event. Her team won the club title.

The specifics of this doping violation have not yet been released by the Turkish federation.